Thank you, and keep up the good work!

September 8, 2014

When you first heard we were trying to raise $1.2 million in the Rocky Mountain Conference to help end deaths from malaria in Africa, did you think we would make it?

At Annual Conference in June, the Steering Committee reported that not only did we achieve our goal, we surpassed it, with gifts and pledges totaling $1,414,000! And since then, we have received another $75,000 in goals and contributions, bringing our total commitments to $1.489 million as of July 31!

If that's not exciting enough, here are some more details on the work that has made this possible:

Members from 203 different churches made a contribution. Eight more have set goals, but haven't yet sent in their funds. That means 81% of Rocky Mountain Conference churches participated in this extraordinary effort!

Specifically:

• Wyoming churches collectively raised $26.30 raised per member
• Newcastle First (Wyoming)  raised $4,985 - that's $22 per member
• Grace (Cheyenne) raised $3,833 - that's $26 per member
• Yuma (CO) set a goal for $100 and raised $998
• Steamboat Springs exceeded their $8,000 goal and raised $13,967 - that's $34 per member!
• Ogden Community raised $5,724 - that's $24 per member!
• Montrose First (CO) is still working toward their $20,000 goal, but they have raised $31 per member - so far.
• Limon (CO) raised $78 per member by raising $20,046.
• Rush (CO)  did not set a goal, but raised $88 per member
• Last Chance (CO) raised $24 per member
• Hope (Greenwood Village) raised $15,375, or $23 per member
• Heritage (Littleton) raised $8,236, or $28 per member
• Colorado Springs First raised $50,700
• Trinity Denver has raised $110,330 - so far - they are still working toward their goal of $123 per member!
• St. Andrew's (Highlands Ranch) has raised $20,964 and are still working to achieve their $24 per member goal.
• St. Luke's (Highlands Ranch) raised $26,099!
• Arvada is 20% of the way to reaching their $33 per member goal
• Good Shepherd (Thornton) raised $25 per member
• Glenwood Springs raised $22 per member
• Mountain View and St. Paul's (both in Boulder) raised $8,615 and $3,618 respectively - even though they were dealing with flood waters and a community in crisis. Perhaps they know a thing or two about mosquitoes!

Communication Changes

In the interest of saving administrative expenses for the campaign, the Steering Committee has decided to discontinue our email newsletter account. Updates will still be sent out periodically through the Rocky Mountain Conference weekly e-newsletter; you can sign up for that list here. If you do nothing, you will not receive any further communications from us, except for updates on your individual giving from the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation, which continues to manage the donation tracking.

A Few Reminders

If your church has collected funds that you haven't sent in yet, please send those in on a monthly basis - the easiest way is to include donations with your monthly remittances to the Conference office, designated for Imagine No Malaria.

If your church set a goal that you haven't achieved yet, please continue working towards your goal! If you need to adjust your goal, contact Kristi Kinnison, kristi@rmumf.org. 

If you have questions or updates, see whom to contact going forward.

Please continue to pray for Imagine No Malaria, for all who suffer and all who are helping to end unnecessary suffering.

Finally, thank you to all of you who have taken part in any role as part of the network of advocates, ambassadors, fundraisers, educators, donors, and healers in this extraordinary effort to end deaths from malaria in Africa. You may have seen this article from United Methodist Communications:

Efforts to fight Malaria are also good for the communications and medical infrastructure to fight Ebola. According to the article, "Your gifts to Imagine No Malaria are also helping in the fight against Ebola because together, we’ve improved access to health care. A strong health infrastructure, consisting of trained health care workers and well-equipped facilities, is better able to handle other health threats as well." We know that although the article didn't mention this, the publicity, education and communication networks that have been developed about Malaria are the same networks being used to educate people about Ebola.

Together, we are saving and transforming lives!

The science of Imagine No Malaria (part 2)

Note: This post was scheduled to be published in  March 2014. Apologies to anyone who went looking for it and got error messages!

Professor Becky Buxton continues her discussion of the science of malaria with a focus on vaccines and treatment, both the challenges that exist and the progress that is being made - and why it's so important to take action now.

Watch Part 1 or Part 3 of this video series.

Steamboat Springs surpasses their goal by 50%!

We know that Imagine No Malaria is just one of many important causes that churches are asked to support, and that each congregation faces unique circumstances and challenges that affect their ability to raise the suggested $20 per member toward our Rocky Mountain Conference goal of $1.2 million. And so we are grateful when a church takes on that baseline goal with commitment and conviction, and thrilled when they surpass it by more than 50%!

Here's how Steamboat Springs UMC did it, submitted by member Dorothy Lindahl:

Just wanted to let you know what the Steamboat Springs UMC has been doing to support the Imagine No Malaria Campaign.  Our mission team set a goal of raising $8000 (approximately $20 per member as was suggested). 

On July 4th we set up a booth which included a bednet on the lawn of the church following the parade to let others know about the project.  We had a donation jar and literature and mosquitoes.  Next we advertised and showed the "Killer in the Dark" movie at the town library, with the children selling mosquitoes they had made in Sunday School.  At the UMW Fall Fare we offered a few items left from an Estate Sale. 

We have been taking coins in buckets on the third Sundays of the month called "Change for Change." We have a portable basketball hoop which is moved place to place in the church with a bucket for coins. A challenge was made to parents and kids to make a donation for every score made as they played sports. (Nets for Nets). At Christmas we offered cards for honor donations.

I don't have the exact figure we have collected but know it is more that $13,000. United Methodist Women gave $500 raised for mission work to the fund. This has been a joint project of the Mission Team and United Methodist Women. 

Congratulations and thanks to all who took part in these efforts, and praise God for an abundant return on your faithful work!

What has your church done so far to support the cause? What exciting plans do you have for the next several months? Please send stories and photos to kerry@rmcumc.com! 

Conference Planning Season

The Mission Banquet focusing on Imagine No Malaria at
Rocky Mountain Annual Conference 2013

It's still winter outside, but annual conference planning season is well underway. You have probably already heard that this year's session for Rocky Mountain Conference will take place in Pueblo, part of our effort to rotate among the districts every few years. Many clergy and lay members have to travel long distances every year because the Metro area is hundreds of miles from where they live and serve, so once in a while it's only fair that the Metro (and other Front Range Colorado) members travel to see other parts of our region as well.

When choosing a site for annual conference, the staff and other conference leaders take into account travel options, meeting space, hotel availability, and other logistics. But in Mozambique, it turns out they have to take malaria into account as well. Jill Wondel, one of the Field Coordinators for Imagine No Malaria in the Missouri Annual Conference, shares a story that puts things into perspective:

When I was sharing my story with our district superintendent, Kendall Waller, he told me his own story about malaria. He recently visited Mozambique, I think it was this spring, and was with one of the leaders of the church there.

They were visiting the northern part of the country and the man mentioned to Kendall that when they were planning for their annual meetings, their Annual Conference, they originally thought about holding the meeting in that area.

But because the prevalence of malaria is greater in the north, they decided to move the conference further south. They determined that if they held the conference in the north for one week that they would lose 70 people to malaria.

70 people.

They had to decide where to hold their conference not based on available hotels or the size of the conference center, but on how many people they thought would die in the week they were there.

Malaria is a powerful enemy. But we have an opportunity to change that.

What are you going to do with that opportunity?

Resources for Lent

Happy Valentine's Day! Are you ready for Lent?

Seems like church leaders can never fully enjoy the present day or season because they always have to be thinking a month or two ahead to plan for the next. Ash Wednesday is March 5, less than 3 weeks away.

If your church is considering taking on Imagine No Malaria as a mission focus for Lent this year, we have some new resources to help you out! View and download any or all of the following:

• Guide for Lent (developed by INM-Iowa Conference)
• Giving from Abundance Calendar
• Bulletin Inserts
• Call to Action Poster
• Church-wide letter
• Lent slider image
• World Malaria Day Resources

May the God of abundant life and unconditional love bless you richly as you look for ways to share that love with others!

Campaign Transitions & Final Webinar

Campaign Update & Transition

Imagine No Malaria in the Rocky Mountain Conference continues to make progress toward our goal of saving 120,000 lives - we are now about 60% of the way there!

I wanted to let you know about some upcoming changes. My role as Field Coordinator will end on February 25, both because the position was always short-term and much of the work is now done, and because my husband and I are preparing to welcome a new addition to our family next month!

I have greatly enjoyed this opportunity to use my gifts to support such a meaningful and life-giving ministry, and I feel confident about leaving the campaign in the competent and trustworthy hands of the Steering Committee, supported by the office of the Director of Mission and Ministry (Rev. Dr. Youngsook Kang), and many wonderful volunteers.

I will post more details next week about whom to contact with questions or requests for speakers after February 25.

Webinar

We will be offering one more webinar training on Thursday, February 20, at 11am for those who weren't able to attend a training last year. See below for more details, or register here. The webinar will be recorded and posted online afterwards for those who can't attend the live event.

Imagine No Malaria - Make It Happen! 

Join us for a Webinar on February 20 

District Superintendent Melanie Rosa receives a check from
the children's ministry at First UMC of Colorado Springs

Did your church set a goal to save lives from malaria? Great!

Now what?

Rev. Kerry Greenhill will provide detailed information about what you can do to engage your church, and your community, to meet the goals you set. She will give real examples of what some churches are doing to raise money and make a difference in the world. You will also get in-depth information about the fight against this deadly disease that you can take back to your church and communities to generate excitement about this extraordinary effort. Put your faith into action and join us as we seek to end deaths from malaria in Africa.

Title:    Imagine No Malaria - Make It Happen!
Date:    Thursday, February 20, 2014
Time:    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MST 

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

Breaking down the myths of global health, poverty, and progress

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently released their annual letter, and this year they identify and take apart three pervasive myths that block progress for the poor. Please consider reading the whole letter, as it is thoughtful, informative, and compelling. But for those with limited time, here are a few of the highlights.

The Three Myths

1. Poor countries are doomed to stay poor
2. Foreign aid is a big waste
3. Saving lives leads to overpopulation

Do these sound familiar? Are they part of your understanding of the world? The Gates Foundation takes on these beliefs not only because they are based on a pessimistic outlook that tends to inhibit action for positive change in the world, but also because the beliefs themselves are simply, factually, false.

The Data

The letter goes into detail about how historical data demonstrates that many countries that were very poor just 50 years ago have since moved into a level of economic productivity that qualifies as middle-income on the global scale.

Of course, there are still countries - and still significant portions of the population in some middle-income countries - where average per capita income is still just US$1-2/day. But there are fewer of these countries now than before, and all economic measures suggest that this global trend toward greater economic development, and the improvements in health, education, and infrastructure that tend to accompany it, will continue in the coming decades. This trend can be attributed in large part to the success of foreign aid.

Video Snapshots

If you like visual aids to help improve your understanding, check out these two short videos that address some of the nuances of Myths #2 and #3:

Bill Nye, the Science Guy, on the leading causes of death among young children, and how foreign aid - a tiny percentage of the US federal budget - makes a huge difference:



And Melinda Gates explains why improving health and saving people's lives is good for the planet - it actually reduces overpopulation in the long run:

Invest in Health, Change the World

Health care is not the only area of development important in improving the lives of the global poor, but it is a major piece of the puzzle. The 2014 Gates Annual Letter helps provide some concrete facts and figures to address concerns that often come up when we talk about Imagine No Malaria's work to prevent needless death and suffering from malaria and transform lives and communities across Africa. Please help us to spread the word and #StoptheMyth so we can make an even greater impact!


In the interest of full disclosure: a grant from the Gates Foundation covers the administrative costs of Imagine No Malaria, including Field Coordinator compensation, but I'm sharing the letter here because it's interesting and relevant, not out of obligation!

New Year's Resolutions, or How to Save Lives in 2014

Happy New Year! Are you making any resolutions for 2014? The first day of the year always seems like a good opportunity to declare your intentions to be more healthy in mind, body, spirit, relationships, finances, and other important areas of life.

If you're looking for ideas on how to help proclaim God's love in the coming year, or want to share with family and friends what it means to be a United Methodist committed to putting faith into action, here are 10 ways to support Imagine No Malaria in 2014 - let me know in the comments if you take on one or more of these, or if you have other suggestions!

How to Save Lives in 2014

1. Schedule a monthly donation to Imagine No Malaria (make sure to check the box to indicate what church you're affiliated with). Remember:

• $10 Buys a life-saving insecticide-treated bed net
• $20 Pays for the cost of food and treatment of anemia in a pregnant woman with malaria
• $50 Provides malaria medication to treat ten adults
• $100 Covers the cost of an anti-malaria campaign in a local school
• $200 Trains Traditional Birth Attendants in malaria prevention and treatment
• $500 Provides all the resources for a one-day community leader training for 35-40 people on malaria prevention
• $28/month over three years adds up to a pledge of $1,000 that will save 100 lives - that's a whole community!

2. Send an email to your friends and family, telling them about the threat of malaria in Africa, what Imagine No Malaria is doing about it, and why you are supporting this cause. Invite them to join you in saving lives.

3. Like Imagine No Malaria - Rocky Mountain Conference on Facebook and follow @RMCbuzz on Twitter. Share or retweet a post at least once a month.

4. Host a screening of A Killer in the Dark, the documentary about the United Methodist Church's work to fight malaria in Africa. Invite friends, neighbors, coworkers, or church members to watch with you and discuss afterwards.

5. Talk to your pastor, Sunday school teacher, small group leader, or other church members to find out what your congregation is doing to support INM, and offer to help.

6. Make pipe cleaner mosquitoes with your own children or the church youth group. Sell them for donations (suggested: $5 each or 3 for $10) at church during coffee hour/fellowship time or as part of a bake sale or other event.

7. Contact your Senators and Representative in Congress to let them know that you support continued federal funding for global health work, including the President's Malaria Initiative. Tell the staff person you speak with that you are United Methodist and you are doing your part through Imagine No Malaria, and you hope the US government will continue to do its part to end this unnecessary source of suffering in our world.

8. Talk to leaders in your school, civic groups, local government, hospitals/clinics, or other congregations in your community to find out if they would like to partner with your church in saving children's lives in Africa.

9. Help your church leaders plan and put on an event that invites the whole community to come together in support of Imagine No Malaria. Possibilities include a basketball tournament, benefit concert, fundraising dinner, silent auction, knit-a-thon, variety show, or any creative option that will give people a chance to have fun while learning about malaria and giving generously.

10. Pray each week for those who suffer from malaria, for those who have lost loved ones, for the doctors, nurses, and community health workers who bring healing and hope, for those who are working in communication and advocacy, for improvements to infrastructure and social systems that will make health care more accessible for more people, and that Imagine No Malaria can be a powerful witness to God's desire for abundant life for all people as we help end deaths from malaria in Africa in our lifetime.

Thank you for whatever step you can take to help make abundant life more possible for our sisters and brothers in Africa. Together, we are bringing hope and healing to millions of people: a great testimony to the Good News of God's love made known in Jesus Christ!

Giving Tuesday reminder & Rocky Mountain Conference progress

Today, December 3, is Giving Tuesday, a day to give back to ministries and causes around the world after what is for many an intense weekend of spending on Christmas gifts. Today only, gifts made to United Methodist projects like Imagine No Malaria are being matched by the Advance, which means your dollar counts for double when you give through this site:

http://www.umcmission.org/Give-to-Mission/Search-for-Projects/Projects/3021190

And in case you haven't heard, we are making great progress in the Rocky Mountain Conference toward our goal of raising $1.2 million toward the global effort to end preventable deaths from malaria. As of early November, we had gifts, pledges, and church goals totaling $698,000 - about 58% of the way - and we have received several more since then that we are still processing!

Thank you to all the Ambassadors, Organizers, pastors, lay leaders, and other advocates who are helping raise awareness across the Rocky Mountain region of the great need and tremendous opportunity we have to end preventable deaths from malaria in our lifetime!

Fundraising Thermometer by:
Provided by Easy Fundraising Ideas

What we have accomplished

Since Imagine No Malaria first launched in 2010, we have funded anti-malaria programs and public health infrastructure in the areas of education, communication, prevention, and treatment in 16 countries in Africa. Just in 2012-2013, 12 United Methodist conferences in Africa have received grants to fund training, nets, medications, supplies, and more.

A new handout, the "Snapshot of Activity," breaks down not only how much we've raised and how it is being spent, but how the grants are made in ways that ensure accountability and sustainability.

It's important to note that much of the $60 million that has been committed to the overall campaign consists of goals set by annual conferences and local churches: while we are confident that these funds will come in as promised, they are not yet in the form of cash in hand that can be spent out.

Download the Snapshot of Activity for all the details, including a success story from Sierra Leone, and share with your family, friends, neighbors, and congregation how their gifts continue to be put to good use to save lives and transform communities across Africa.

Charge Conference Season

As a pastor friend of mine posted on Facebook recently, for United Methodist clergy and church leaders, this isn't yet the "holiday season"; it's "report season"! In our connectional system, each church (or charge, usually used if a pastor serves more than one church) where a pastor is appointed holds an annual business meeting to report to each other, to the district, and and to the (regional) conference office some of the highlights and challenges of ministry in the past year.

This includes lots of statistical and other numeric reporting - budgets, attendance, membership, baptisms, deaths, and so on - but also offers an opportunity for the church to practice telling its story about how God has been at work in and through the congregation. Not just, do we have enough money and do we have more or fewer people than in January, but also, how have we experienced the power of the risen Christ in our ministries? How are we responding to God's grace in our lives? How are we growing in the call to love our neighbor through prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness? How is the kin'dom of God breaking through in our midst? And where might the Spirit be leading us in the coming year?

This year, one of the reports churches in the Rocky Mountain Conference will be asked to give is for Imagine No Malaria. District Superintendents (or their designated presiding elders) will be asking each church/charge to respond to 3 simple questions as part of their "holy business":

1. How many lives does your church plan to save? ($10 saves a life)
2. What progress have you made toward that goal? and 
3. What plans do you have between now and April 25, 2014? 

If your church has not yet set a formal goal, this is an excellent opportunity to have that conversation. (Download the Imagine No Malaria Report form here to be ready to respond at your church or charge conference.)

Churches will also have an opportunity to take up an offering for Imagine No Malaria during the charge conference. If individuals wish to make gifts or pledges, they have two options: they can give to/through the local church, or make checks and pledge forms out to the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMCUMC). We encourage churches to track pledges that will be paid off over time, but we are always happy to receive information about individual donors so we can acknowledge them at the conference level as well.

The Rocky Mountain Conference Steering Committee understands that many churches are facing financial challenges, and also that there are many worthy causes that United Methodists are asked to support. However, we believe strongly that Imagine No Malaria is a vital and urgent opportunity for all of us to put our faith into action as we join the global movement to end deaths from this preventable, treatable, and beatable disease. We can be part of making history as we empower the people of Africa to win a sustainable victory over malaria within our lifetimes, and to make a more abundant life possible for communities across the continent. I hope you'll join us!

Utah - we can't do it without U!

United Methodists in Utah have waited patiently all year for a chance to get all the details about Imagine No Malaria and how to join this extraordinary effort to save lives. Some churches have already jumped in and begun raising awareness and funds, while others are eager to learn more. Your wait is almost over!

Next week, I will be offering two training/information sessions in northern Utah - details are below. I regret that time constraints don't allow me to travel to all corners of the state, but I hope folks from several churches will be able to travel to join us in either Ogden or Sandy. I still plan to offer another webinar before the end of the year for those who have been unable to attend a training in person.
 
Imagine No Malaria: YOUtah Can Make It Happen!
It's time to GET INVOLVED!  Learn more about Imagine No Malaria and how you can help save lives. This training/information session begins with a detailed overview of the extraordinary effort by the people of The United Methodist Church to end deaths from malaria in Africa. You will then learn ways to engage your church and community, as well as some of the different volunteer opportunities available. (Attending a training does not obligate you to take on any specific role!)

When & Where:Friday, November 8 at 6:30pm: Community UMC, Ogden
Saturday, November 9 at 10:30am: Hilltop UMC, Sandy
Who:

These trainings are appropriate for anyone who wants to learn more about Imagine No Malaria, as well as for those who want to lead efforts in the local church or volunteer at the district level.

RSVP:
Please email Kerry Greenhill (Kerry@rmcumc.com) by 9am on Wednesday, November 6 to make sure we have enough materials.

Hope to see you soon!

Progress Update & Creative Plans

Thanks to the churches and individuals that have given, pledged, or set goals since Annual Conference, we continue to make tremendous progress toward our fundraising goals:

• The overall Imagine No Malaria campaign has raised $53 million in gifts and pledges toward its total goal of $75 million. 
• Rocky Mountain Conference has received gifts, pledges, and church goals totaling $594,121 so far, which puts us at 49.5% of our goal! 
• This includes an individual matching gift of $50,000 from a donor affiliated with a Denver-area church, and another $45,500 committed by members of that church toward the matched amount so far!

Churches are also making plans to Advocate, Raise Funds, and Engage Community in all kinds of creative ways, including:

Cameron UMC volunteers with Kunle Taiwo, Sarah and Kristi
Kinnison, at the (Denver) South Pearl Street Farmer's Market

• Hosting Imagine No Malaria as part of their booth at the weekly farmer's market (Cameron Church, Denver)
• A knit/crochet-a-thon at Platteville UMC
• Donations from an annual Trunk or Treat event, plus a "Whack a Mosquito" activity involving beating up an old car (First UMC, Longmont)
• Benefit concerts featuring church and/or community musicians (Mountain View, Boulder; Good Shepherd, Thornton)
• A Western Slope youth camp-out where participants have to solve real-life problems as family groups based on assigned identities and circumstances faced by families in Africa

I know many other churches are planning creative and exciting activities - please email me at kerry [at] rmcumc.com to share your story, along with any photos or videos you may take!

And if you want to learn more about how to get involved, consider joining us for one of the following training/information sessions (see full list here):

August 29	Thursday	6:30pm	Hope UMC, Greenwood Village, CO
September 12	Thursday	6:00pm	First UMC, Durango, CO
September 13	Friday	6:30pm	Hotchkiss UMC, Hotchkiss, CO
September 18	Wednesday	6:30pm	First UMC, Greeley, CO

Together, we are transforming and saving lives!

Advocate: Lift up your voice!

The need to not only sustain but increase global funding for malaria control efforts is tremendous. The United Methodist Church will raise $75 million by 2015, a major undertaking for our denomination. But the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a total of $5.1 billion is needed each year in order to continue making progress against the disease. Read more about the need in this WHO report.

As Katie Dawson, Iowa Field Coordinator for Imagine No Malaria, explains,

While the money we raise with Imagine No Malaria makes a huge impact, one of the things you can DO to help our effort is to advocate for global health funds from our U.S. government.

The budgets from the President, House and Senate for 2014 all include $1.65 billion for the Global Fund and between $650-670 million for the President's Malaria Initiative.

Those funds are available for our United Methodist conferences in Africa, our health boards, our hospitals and clinics to receive through grants. Because of our work raising funds and our incredible distribution and connection on the ground, we are a voice at the table with the Global Fund.

Talk to YOUR legislator in support of funding for global health in the budget to help save lives.

Some 100 anti-malaria advocates visited Capitol Hill in
December 2012 to speak to legislators about global health
funding.

While phone calls and hand-written letters still have the greatest impact in conveying how important the topic is to you, you can also sign an online petition in about a minute at the General Board of Church and Society's "Take Action" site.

Proverbs 31:8-9 offers this instruction (from The Message paraphrase by Eugene Peterson):

“Speak up for the people who have no voice,
    for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak out for justice!
    Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

How will you lift up your voice on behalf of those who have no voice? Join us in advocating for global health funding to fight malaria!

We are making progress - and the need continues!

In the last month or so, two very different news reports regarding the fight against malaria have received significant attention.

First, in July, the BBC and Public Radio International aired a story (Bed Nets for Malaria: Losing the Arms Race?) that raised serious questions about whether bed nets were making genuine and sustainable progress in reducing malaria infections, because mosquitoes in some areas were shown to be developing resistance to the primary insecticide with which the nets are treated.

Rev. Larry Hollon, General Secretary of United Methodist Communications, wrote a thoughtful response to the questions raised in the BBC article. Rev. Hollon contended that malaria experts had long anticipated the problems now being observed, and that this evidence demonstrates the importance of a more comprehensive, holistic approach to eradicating malaria. This is one of many reasons that Imagine No Malaria goes beyond just bed nets to include other methods of prevention, alongside diagnosis and treatment, education, and communication strategies.

Then last week, CNN.com reported on a breakthrough in U.S. efforts to develop a malaria vaccine. A study conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on a vaccine developed by Maryland-based company Sanaria showed highly promising results, but the initial trials were quite small, involving just 57 volunteers, and more extensive field testing is required before the drug can be considered scientifically proven in order to be approved for distribution - a process that could take 5-10 years. 

This development is very encouraging in thinking about the big picture of preventing malaria infections in future, although the requirement to receive five intravenous doses of the vaccine could make it difficult to administer widely in areas of very low incomes and lack of infrastructure like roads. Other researchers around the world are working on different approaches to a vaccine (see, for example, this CDC page.) However, the length of time before these vaccines come on the market, even if they prove very successful, makes it all the more important that we keep up our efforts to reduce malaria infections through prevention and education, and to relieve suffering through diagnosis and treatment.

Ending deaths from malaria in Africa is no small undertaking. This disease has been a scourge of humanity for thousands of years, but we know that it can be done because it has been done in the United States and other developed countries. What is needed to accomplish the same goal in Africa is, quite simply, the will to dedicate resources to ease the suffering of the poor who cannot otherwise afford quality health care, in order to enable more families, more communities, more nations to live life to the fullest - something that Jesus cared quite a bit about.

You can donate to Imagine No Malaria here or here, or text MALARIA RMC to 27722 to give $10. Thanks for helping us save lives!

Schedule of Training/Information Sessions

I'm having some trouble getting the permanent page for the schedule of volunteer trainings/information sessions to display in the header, so here's a big ol' link:

Training/Information Sessions

Hope you can join us in person this summer or fall, or perhaps even tomorrow at 11am via Webinar!

Webinar: YOU can make it happen!

Join us for a webinar on Wednesday, July 31, at 11am MDT:

Imagine No Malaria: YOU can make this happen!

It's time to GET INVOLVED!  Learn more about Imagine No Malaria. This informative webinar will begin with a detailed overview of this extraordinary effort to end deaths from malaria in Africa. You will then learn ways to engage your church and community, as well as some of the different volunteer opportunities available. (Attending a training does not obligate you to take on any specific role!)

Rev. Kerry Greenhill, Field
Coordinator (on the left!),
will present this training/
information session.

Title: Imagine No Malaria - YOU can make this happen!
Date: Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer
 
Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet 

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/810667062

Do Something to Keep Children Alive!

Annual Conference begins Thursday - are you ready?

This week the Rocky  Mountain Annual Conference will include a brief presentation Thursday afternoon to introduce the Steering Committee for Imagine No Malaria, and on Friday evening we'll enjoy a Missions Banquet with updates from Rev. Gary Henderson, Executive Director of the Global Health Initiative, on the overall scope of this ministry at the global level. If you're at annual conference, you won't want to miss this powerful presentation!

In preparation for our festivities, here's an inspiring message from one of our Steering Committee members. Kunle Taiwo is Co-Lay Leader of the Rocky Mountain Conference. He shares his personal experiences with malaria growing up in Nigeria, and why it's important to take action now to save lives from this preventable and treatable disease:


Kunle emphasizes our faith calling to take action, from a perspective of justice:

"The mortality rate due to malaria is very atrocious in Africa. If we've eradicated that in the western world, particularly in the United States, I think it's incumbent upon us as Christians to pursue this in the best way we can, to at least make sure that these little kids would live."

and

"Having grown up in a place where there is resources... where you know that children can live and be fruitful, and enough is not being done to bring that to life, is something that is a challenge for all of us, and should motivate us to do something to keep children alive."

Children born in the U.S. no longer have to worry that a mosquito bite could turn out to be fatal, but globally, that's not true. A child dies from malaria every 60 seconds, and in Africa, one in five children will not live to see their fifth birthday because of this preventable, treatable, and beatable disease. But we can change that, through a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, treatment, education, and communication. As Kunle says, 

"We have the capability to do this; we have the will to do this; we ought to do it."

If you want to be part of the movement to save lives and end deaths from malaria in Africa, please consider making a donation through the Rocky Mountain Conference or at ImagineNoMalaria.org (make sure to check the box at the bottom for your United Methodist affiliation so your church/district/conference gets credit!), or contact Field Coordinator Rev. Kerry Greenhill, 303-733-3736 x152 or kerry (at) rmcumc.com to find out how you can get involved.

And Are We Yet Alive?

Image from United Methodist Memes
(https://www.facebook.com/UnitedMethodistMemes)

It's Annual Conference season in The United Methodist Church. The Rocky Mountain Annual Conference begins next Thursday, June 13, and finishes around midday on Sunday, June 16.

For those less familiar with the peculiarities of our denomination's practices, an annual conference is just what it sounds like*: an event for the United Methodist clergy from a particular region and an (approximately) equal number of lay (non-clergy) delegates from United Methodist congregations, who gather once a year to tell the story of what we've been up to in the past year, to vote on matters of teaching and practice, to honor those in transition from one stage of ministry or life to another (commissioning, ordination, retirement, death), to learn, to sing, to eat, and - at our best - to remember who and Whose we are, and why we are part of a connectional church system, so that we can do more together than we could on our own.

One of the traditions in many regions is to open annual conference with a hymn by Charles Wesley, brother of John and co-founder of the Methodist movement. "And Are We Yet Alive" was written more than 250 years ago, at a time when Methodism was a flourishing movement for renewal and reform within the Church of England. In an era when child mortality may have been as high as 40% and average life expectancy only around 40 years, the opening lyrics must have been especially poignant:

And are we yet alive,
and see each other's face?

Glory and thanks to Jesus give
for his almighty grace.

(You can read the full lyrics here.) A lot has changed since 1749, including many of the technologies we use for annual conference (it'll be #RMAC13 if you're on Twitter!) And today, of course, we expect most of the people we saw a year ago to still be alive, even if circumstances have changed and they are not at annual conference itself. But these words remind me that life is still fragile and fleeting, and in many parts of the world, health and longevity cannot be taken for granted.  

What troubles have we seen,
what mighty conflicts past,
fightings without, and fears within,
since we assembled last!   

A child dies of malaria every 60 seconds. Some 650,000 people die each year from this preventable, treatable, and beatable disease. As we gather at the Denver Marriott Tech Center next week, we'll be holding in prayer the families and communities across Africa and around the world where malaria - along with tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases of poverty - add extra meaning to this hymn.

If you'll be at annual conference, stop by the Imagine No Malaria display table to say hello, pick up some materials and a fly-swatter, and share your story. And don't miss Friday evening's Mission Banquet, with Rev. Gary Henderson, Executive Director of the UMC Global Health Initiative, as keynote speaker!

And if you won't be at annual conference but want to help out, please contact me ASAP at kerry (at) rmcumc.com as there are still some great volunteer opportunities available, both at our Denver tech center office and around the region.

Yet out of all the Lord
hath brought us by his love;
and still he doth his help afford,
and hides our life above. 

The worship committee has planned a little different opening for the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference this year, but these words will still be brought to mind as we sing "We've Come This Far By Faith," about God's faithfulness through all the challenges life brings, and our continued forward momentum toward God's purposes - the same themes as Charles Wesley's hymn, just based in a different cultural tradition.

We’ve come this far by faith,
leaning on the Lord;
Trusting in the holy word,
God’s never failed us yet.
Oh -- can’t turn around,
We’ve come this far by faith.

We are United Methodists. We are known worldwide for living out the teachings of Jesus through ministries with the poor and others on the margins, for our theology of grace and salvation for all, and for our work for a better world, the kin'dom of a loving God made real here on earth. And so I invite you to join our movement to prevent suffering and death from malaria; to prevent, diagnose, and treat malaria; to educate, communicate, and advocate until no parent has to worry that their child will die from a mosquito bite.



*Of course, because we like things complicated, "annual conference" can also refer to any geographic region of the denomination that is overseen by a single bishop and meets at such a yearly gathering (the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference consists of Colorado, Utah, and a little over half of Wyoming). And we might sometimes talk about "the conference" as all the churches or all the individual members of that region. But in May and June, we're mostly describing the meetings themselves.

Volunteer Training in Denver

Rev. Mike Dent is Senior Pastor
at Trinity UMC, Denver, and Co-
Chair of the Imagine No Malaria
Steering Committee

As we gear up for Annual Conference, with a great Mission Banquet focused on Imagine No Malaria, and invitations to all churches to take this on as a missional focus in the coming year, we anticipate an increase in the need for presentations, resourcing support, and coordination. Because our Field Coordinator is only one person (and part-time at that!), we need to develop a NET-work of volunteers who can help lead campaigns in their churches, speak to other community groups or congregations, and do some behind-the-scenes work like making phone calls and help with reporting. Whatever your gifts, we can find a way for you to serve! And so...
 

All YOU are invited to our first Volunteer Training for Imagine No Malaria in the Rocky Mountain Conference:

Rev. Kerry Greenhill, Field Coordinator,
speaks to the Plains Sub-District at Limon
UMC in April. This could be you!

Who: YOU! And any friends, coworkers, neighbors, classmates who might be interested.

When: Tuesday, May 28, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Trinity UMC, 1820 Broadway, Denver 
Cost: Free! And snacks will be provided!
RSVP: Rev. Kerry Greenhill, Field Coordinator, 303-733-3736 x152, or kerry @ rmcumc.com.

Learn more about how the people of The United Methodist Church are putting their faith into action to end preventable deaths from malaria in Africa. If you've heard a little about Imagine No Malaria but want to get more of the nitty-gritty details, or if you're passionate about the cause and want to volunteer - either in your local church or at the district or conference level - this is a great opportunity to get the information and resources you've been wanting!

Please let us know you're coming so we can prepare enough materials for everyone. Feel free to call or email with questions as well.